Day: December 9, 2024

Ali Challenges Mu’awiya to Single Combat

Appalled by the carnage, Ali sent a message to Mu’awiya and challenged him to single combat, saying that whoever won should be the Caliph. In Sir Edward Gibbon’s words, “Ali generously proposed to save the blood of the Muslims by a single combat; but his trembling rival declined the challenge as a sentence of inevitable death. “Although advised by Amr bin As to accept the challenge, Mu’awiya would have none of it. Ali, he said, had never fought without killing his adversary in a hand-to-hand fight and he (Mu’awiya) had no desire to court his doom. Amr then expostulated with Mu’awiya, saying that his fair name would be tarnished if he declined the offer. Mu’awiya, in a great rage, turned on Amr and said, “O Amr! By the artifice of goading me to fight a duel you want to get rid of me so that you yourself may enjoy the fruits of Caliphate.” To Amr, Mu’awiya’s refusal to fight against Ali must have appeared chicken-hearted in the extreme. Tradition suggests that Mu’awiya felt that his forces had already been outmanoeuvred in the field and that now, with defeat staring him in the face, his one thought was to save his skin. Amr bin As, on the other hand, believed that if they fled and were captured, their lives would certainly be forfeit and that their best chance of staying alive would be to remain where they were and to temporise and try to negotiate.

Whether or not Mu’awiya had indeed lost his nerve we do not know. He had never valued mere physical prowess highly, having always preferred to match his wit against his enemies’ force of arms. What is known is that, by the next morning, he and Amr between them had devised a stratagem far more effective than any single combat, calculated as it was to sow discord among

Amr suggested to Mu’awiya that he should order his men to tie copies of the Qur’an to their lances and then appeal for a decision by the Book of the Lord rather than by the sword. Early next morning, with the panic- stricken Syrians on the verge of retreat Mu’awiya sounded his bugle and issued these instructions to his soldiers. So little did the Syrians care for their religious observance that only 5,000 copies of the Book of God could be found among the 100,000 but this difficulty was overcome by tearing leaves from the books which the Syrians then fixed to their lances.

By the time the sun was up the Syrians were already in position and were shouting at the top of their voice, “O ye men! O ye men of Iraq! Should you kill us what will become of our families and, should we slay you, what will become of your children and wives? Let us stop this mad warfare and resort to the decision of the Book of God.”

At the head of Mu’awiya’s forces was his famous counsellor, Abu-ul-Uoor Sulma, riding on a white mule and shouting loudly, “Who will defend the frontiers of Islam against the Persians and the Turks?” Soon batches of Syrian heralds were loudly shouting to Ali’s army, “Let the blood of the Faithful cease to flow, and let the Book of the Lord decide our differences-a Book containing a complete code of ethics which prohibits the shedding of blood of the Believers-in-faith in vain. Let the majesty of the law and nothing but the law of God, be the arbiter.”

Once again Mu’awiya’s propaganda had achieved its object and his refusal to meet Ali in mortal combat, which most Arabs of his day would have despised as cowardly, was overlooked in the excitement of the hour and the arguments that followed.

The Men of Iraq Refuse to Fight Further

As soon as the men of Iraq heard the appeal of their enemies they asked Ali to sound a retreat. “We should respond to God’s Book”, they said, throwing down their arms. Soon every soldier in Ali’s army was echoing the cry, “God’s Book. Let nothing but the Law of Allah decide between us. At this Ali came forward and expostulated with his men, saying, “It is an infamous strategem and a nefarious device of Amr and Mu’awiya to cloak their defeat. Believe me, neither Mu’awiya nor Amr bin As, has any regard for religion or for the Quran. Beware of the trick which they are playing upon us. Being men of honour, you should fight to a finish. “But Ali’s men refused to fight for Ali.” As Amr had predicted, the seed of discord had been sown in Ali’s ranks. Ali’s soldiers replied, “Since we are fighting for the sake of God, we cannot refuse arbitration based on the Book of God. How can we refuse to accept the Law of the Lord ?”.

any At this Ali intervened and said, “We have to fight. the pagans to teach them the lesson of resignation to God. Of all the people in this world, I will be the first to accept the decision of the Book of God, but I know full well that neither Mu’awiya nor Amr, nor Ibn Sarh, has knowledge of the Qur’an or of the tenets of Islam. When young they were the worst of boys, and when grown up they were the worst of the youths. What they say is right, but the means which they intend to adopt for gaining their end are wicked and sinful. They are trying to trick us. Do not be decieved. Continue fighting and you will get a victory and do not stop until they surrender.”

At this some 20,000 men of Ali’s troops, led by Zaid bin Hasan and Mus’ur bin Fidki (afterwards becoming Their leaders ap- a Kharajite) laid down their arms. proached Ali and, calling him no longer their Caliph but simply Ali declared, “O Ali! You are appealing to the sword and they are appealing to the Qur’an. Let the issue of the Caliphate be deferred to the judgment of God’s Book and let us submit to God’s words. Remember that, should you fail to recall your men.

the same fate awaits you that befell the Caliph Uthman.” Grief-stricken and heart-broken at the treachery of the men of Iraq, Ali exclaimed in great grief, “Alas! I see that you intend to desert me at the critical time of need. Go and join the Syrian coalition against God and His Apostle. At this they shouted, “Issue orders for Ashtar’s recall from the battlefield and forthwith sound a general retreat.” Some of the more insolent ones were vehement in their reproaches to Ali, and went to the length of murmuring, “Ali is self-seeking opportunist. How dare he object, to the judgment of the Book of God” Some one said, “Ali played a leading part in the murder of Uthman, and then had the audacity to fight against Aisha, the Mother of the Faithful and now has led us to fight against our brother Syrians to quench his thirst for self-aggrandisement.” “Seeing opposition futile,” Says Sir William Muir,’ Ali said, “Stop these wild and treasonable words. Obey and fight. But if ye rebel, do as ye list.” “We

will not fight” they cried, “Recall Ashtar from the field.” Al-Ashtar thus summoned at first refused. “We are gaining a great victory “he said, “I will not come” and he returned to fight again. But the tumult increased and Ali sent a second time to say “Of what avail is victory when treason rageth? Wouldst thou have the Caliph murdered or delivered over to the enemy? Ashtar unwillingly returned, and a fierce alteraction ensued between him and the angry soldiery. Ye were fighting “he said,” for the Lord, and the choicest among you lost their lives. What is it but that ye now acknowledge yourself in the wrong, and the martyrs therefore gone to hell? “Nay” they answered, “Yesterday we fought for the Lord and today for the same Lord, we stop the fight. “On this Ashtar upbraided them as traitors, cowards, hypocrites and villains. “In return they reviled him, and struck his charger with their whips.”

1. Sir William Muir-The Caliphate, its Rise, Decline and Fall. p. 263.

One day Khawas accompanied by his disciple was passing through a wilderness. He sat down at a spot to say his prayers. The disciple saw a lion approaching them where Khawas sat enveloped in meditation. The disciple climbed a tree to safety and watched. The lion came, circled Khawas and smelt him then went away. Khawas remained in his seated position not in the least perturbed.

A little further on their journey as they were talking a mosquito bit Khawas. He shrieked. The disciple questioned, “How was it that when a lion approached you, you remained unaffected and now you are acknowledging a mosquito biting

you?” Khawas replied,’ replied,’ When the lion approached me by the grace of the Almighty I had been washed clean of my consciousness but now I have regained it. (Tadhkeratul Auliya) body

There are many reports of the Prophet’s mastery of the Arabic tongue together with his eloquence and fluency of speech. When he spoke he was very concise and expressed things clearly. His speech was well structured, free from all affectation and he used sound meanings.

He was adept in all the different dialects of Arabia and able to converse with each community using their own colloquial expressions. When they debated

or argued with him he replied using their regular phrasing, and there were several occasions when his Companions were unable to understand what he said and requested him to explain.

The way in which he spoke to the Koraysh of Mecca and the Ansar of Medina,

the people of the Hijaz or Najd was different from the way in which he spoke to Dhul Mishar Al Hamdhani, Tahfah Al Handi, Katan, Haritha Al Ulaymi’s son, Al Ashath, Kays’ son, Wail, Hujr Al Kindi’s son and other chieftains of the Hadramat and the kings of Yemen.

As for his everyday speech, famous speeches, statements and sayings, volumes have been written about them together with references containing their words and an explanation of their meanings.

The eloquence of the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, is unequal and

demonstrated in the following sampling:

“People are like the teeth of comb.”

“A man is with the one he loves”

“There is no good in company that does not show you what you show them.”

“People are like mines of gold and silver. The best of you in the ‘Time of Ignorance’ is the best of you in Islam, if they understand (the Islamic Law).”

“A man who knows his own worth is not destroyed.”

“Allah shows mercy to His worshipper who speaks well and gains, or who remains silent and safe.”

“Become a Muslim and you will be safe, become a Muslim and Allah will give you
your wage twice over.

“Those among you I love most and those who will sit close to me on the Day of Resurrection are the best of you in character, who give shelter, and protect and Reconcile.”

“The two faced person has no status before Allah.”

“Gossiping is forbidden, as is excessive questioning, squandering property, forbidding gifts, disobedience to mothers and the burial of girls alive.” “No matter where you are, fear Allah. Follow a bad action with one that is good because it erases (the bad). He created people with a good character.”

“The best affairs is the median way”

“Answer the one you love with gentleness, lest one day he becomes the one who
hates you.”

“On the Day of Resurrection, injustice will appear as darkness.”

There are a multitude of examples (over 12000 authentic statements), these are but a few and one cannot fail to marvel and reflect upon the wisdom found within them.

The Companions said to him, “We are unable to find anyone more eloquent
thanyou.” To this he replied, “How could it be otherwise, the Koran was revealed on my tongue, a clear Arabic tongue.”

It is reported that on another occasion, the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, told his Companions, “I am the most eloquent of Arabs since I am from the Koraysh and was raised among the children of Saad.” The tribe of Saad was famous for their strength and purity of the Arabic language and this was coupled to the eloquence spoken in Mecca. All these elements were combined with Divine support that accompanies the Revelation and which no mortal can imitate.

Umm Mabab said of him, “His speech was sweet and distinct without using too few words or an excess. It was as if his speech consisted of threaded pearls. His very melodic voice penetrated.”